As temperatures begin to drop, the Springfield Fire Department wants to remind you to be safe when heating your home. Have your furnace and/or fireplace flue serviced by a certified professional to ensure it is safe and ready for use. If heating with wood, carefully discard of cooled ashes in an approved metal container, away from your home.
If using a space heater to stay warm, please keep these safety tips in mind:
- Make sure your space heater has an emergency shut off in case it tips over.
- Keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn, including clothes, furniture, and yourself!
- Never leave a space heater unattended.
- Plug space heaters directly into an electrical outlet and never use an extension cord which can overheat, resulting in a fire.
- Remember, overall, central heating is safer than space heaters.
Fire Chief David Pennington also wants to remind everyone of the importance of working smoke alarms.
“It is critical to your safety that you have working smoke alarms in your home. Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of your home, in every bedroom, and outside each sleeping area,” Pennington says.
The Fire Department provides free smoke alarms to Springfield residents. Call 417-874-2300 to request one.